Page 13 - Michael Biggins News Today

‘Huge disappointment’ for farmers as details of REAP revealed Reporter:  ); Farming organisations have said they are stunned and disappointed by the details of the Results-Based Environment Agri Pilot Programme (REAP) while others have described the pilot as a “damp squib”. Speaking after a meeting with the Department of Agriculture last week, IFA rural development chairperson, Michael Biggins said the details of REAP are a “damp squib”. He said that after the all the hype, the ...

April 13, 2021 3:10 pm The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is “not responding quickly enough” to rising building costs, especially steel, the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has claimed. According to the organisation, the increases are having a knock-on effect on items such as low emission slurry spreading (LESS) equipment and meal bins, which is adding significantly to costs for farmers doing Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS) work. Commenting on the matter...

The “drip feeding” of details regarding the “much-hyped so-called ‘REPS-2’ scheme” has been described as “a complete sham”, by IFA president Tim Cullinan. The farm leader’s stinging criticism of the proposed new agri-environmental scheme – which was originally described as a programme that would be similar to the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme (REPS) – follows the emergence of the latest details on the pilot this week. Speaking at the Oireachtas Agricultur...

IFA president Tim Cullinan. / Philip Doyle The much-hyped REPS II scheme is a complete sham compared with its predecessor, IFA president Tim Cullinan has said. Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue told the Sligo IFA AGM on Monday night that the pilot scheme would be paid on a farmer’s first 10ha and would have an average payment of €4,700 under the scheme, with a potential maximum of just under €7,000. At the Oireachtas Agriculture Committee, the Minister said there would also be ...

EU Financial Services Commissioner, Mairead Mc Guinness. The IFA, led by president Tim Cullinan, met with European Financial Services Commissioner Mairead McGuinness, who, in response to council queries spoke about Mercosur, Farm to Fork and banking. While the commissioner is responsible for a financial portfolio in the Commission, she has a long-established interest in agriculture through family involvement in farming and being a previous member of the agriculture committee in the European Pa...

Minister Charlie McConalogue is being called on to ensure that applicants for tranche 20 of TAMS "receive approvals without further delay".

Minister called on to address TAMS delays 2021-03-12

IFA president Tim Cullinan. \ Philip Doyle Despite all the hype, no budget has yet been confirmed for the new REPS, Tim Cullinan has highlighted. Cullinan led a delegation including national rural development chair Michael Biggins and national hill chair Flor McCarthy to meet Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue about the new scheme on Wednesday. “Drawing comparisons with the original REPS that was first introduced in the 90s will look like complete spin if the Minister doesn’t deli...

Engineer found dead under lift he was working on at Royal Oldham, inquest told Sandy Noble, 33, from Scarborough, was found unresponsive by a colleague on February 22 and was pronounced dead at the scene Updated Sandy Noble (Image: Family) An engineer was found dead under a lift while he was working at Royal Oldham Hospital, in inquest hearing has been told. Police coroners officer Kathy Dixon outlined brief details about Mr Noble and the incident. She said he lived at an address in Scarborough...

March 3, 2021 6:05 pm Farmers need the government’s promised new agri-environmental pilot scheme to be a “meaningful scheme – with a base payment of €10,000”, according to the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA). Commenting on this, IFA president Tim Cullinan said the “REPS pilot results-based scheme” – proposed by the Department of Agriculture, based on the “much-hyped commitment” in the Programme for Government – needs to deliver “real money” to farmers. The president...